Ruth Haring is a Life Member of USCF, an International Woman Master and a member of the Executive Board of USCF, elected in 2009. Ruth was a frequent participant in the US Woman's Championships in the 70's and 80's, and is a five-time US Olympic Champion team member, winning the Bronze on Board 4 in 1976 and representing the USA in the 1976 Women's Interzonal and various other international events. Ruth also serves on the CalChess (Northern California Chess Association) Board of Directors and was appointed in 2009, as the Head of the US Delegation to FIDE. Ruth has a management background and has worked for eBay, IBM and other companies in Silicon Valley since 1983.

Gary Walters is a commercial litigator in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a devout correspondence player and is the 2009 Absolute Correspondence co-champ. He has a BA from Auburn University, a Masters from the School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and a law degree from Cornell. Gary served in the Army for 22 years and earned the Silver Star while an infantry company commander during DESERT STORM in Kuwait.

Allen Priest is a Certified Public Accountant in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a partner in a local accounting firm. Allen started in chess as a chess dad and progressed to tournament volunteer, then tournament director. He became a USCF National Tournament Director in 2011. Allen served as the Ky Chess Association Scholastic Coordinator from 2005-2011 and has directed tournaments all over the United States. He earned a BS in Accounting from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Louisville. He served in the US Army Reserve for ten years.

Mike Nietman is a Senior Programmer/Analyst for a large non-profit hospital in Madison, WI. He has served on the Wisconsin Chess Association’s Board of Directors since 1984 and as their president since 1987. Mike is a lead organizer of the largest scholastic events in the state and was the local organizer of the 1990 World Youth. Mike has served on the USCF Executive Board since 2010.

Chuck Unruh - Member-at-Large

P.O. Box 340,
Collinsville, OK 75021

Chuck Unruh Charles D. Unruh is one of the first three Benefactor Life Members and a regular USCF member since the 1960s. After earning a BS from Miami of Ohio, he established a career in the Oklahoma energy business during the early 1980's. In 1986, he founded his first company in the production and exploration of oil and natural gas. Charles earned the title National Chess Master in 1976 after winning the 1975 Military Thomas Emery Championship. Recently, he also became a registered Master in the martial arts of Tae-Kwon-Do. Currently, Charles serves as the President of the USCF Oklahoma State Chapter.

Michael Atkins is a National Tournament Director, FIDE Arbiter and International Organizer whose past service to chess has been as USCF Life Member, player, organizer, TD, club and state affiliate officer, USCF Clearinghouse Coordinator and chess website developer. He is currently EB Liaison to the Rules, TDCC, Senior Chess and FIDE Events Committees.

He is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and recently retired from 32 years in the Mental Health field, after returning home to live in Baltimore.

Randy Bauer is a Director at Public Financial Management, Inc., a national public sector consulting firm. A USCF Life Member, Randy was a nationally ranked junior player while growing up in Minnesota, earned the National Master title in 1989 and has won state titles in both Minnesota and Iowa. Randy has served on the Board of Directors for both the Minnesota and Iowa State Chess Associations and has served on the USCF Executive Board on two prior occasions. Prior to joining PFM, Randy served as Iowa’s State Budget Director for nearly seven years.